Restrictions After Lasik Eye Surgery

Five Things NOT to Do After Lasik Eye Surgery

When considering Lasik you must understand all restrictions after Lasik eye surgery and after the procedure.

More and more people who rely on wearing glasses or contacts are  turn the Lasik vision correction surgery. For those who are very active, the idea of not wearing glasses or contacts is very appealing. The most important reason for the surgery is that vision is usually much better than before the Lasik procedure.

Lasik has become a wildly popular surgery and while it does have some risks and occasional complications, it usually results in greatly improved vision for many people. To have the best chance for a successful recovery  be aware of the restrictions after Lasik eye surgery.  Here are the most important five:

Prior to your Lasik procedure, your eye care professional will have already performed an in-depth eye exam. In addition to an eye exam, you doctor needs a thorough health history to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for this procedure.

Many factors can make or break your Lasik surgery. To have the expected outcome, you must be a good candidate, you should follow all pre-operative instructions and you should always follow the post-operative instructions.

When you are ready for your Lasik procedure, your doctor will discuss several things to look for after surgery. He or she will also give you detailed post-operative instructions. Some of these restrictions may include not driving or working for several days, going to your check up appointments when scheduled, avoiding make up or touching the eye and refraining from physical activity.

No driving: Your Lasik surgeon will tell you not to drive for a certain period after the surgery. The time can vary depending on how you are healing. Most Lasik patients are allowed to drive 48 hours after the procedure, but only for short periods of time.  If you are experiencing problems with low-light vision, you may need to postpone your nighttime driving for a few more days.

Furthermore, some Lasik patients experience some uncomforatable sensitivity to light.  Because of that it is highly recommended that you wear sunglasses when driving during the day. Also, depending on the work you do, you may need to miss work for up to four days following the procedure. That period of relative inactivity is necessary to let the eye rest and allow more time for healing to take place.

In goes without saying that you must not miss post-operative appointments. Your Lasik surgeon will recommend that you make appointments for post-operative exams to check the healing of the eye. Usually these appointments are made one week, one month and three months after surgery. It is important that these appointments are made before you have your Lasik procedures. Keeping these appointments are critical to assess the healing after surgery.  It's a good idea to plan for them as soon as you have a date set for surgery.

Do not apply eye make up: Most Lasik surgeons recommend that all traces of any make up, including lipstick and any facial lotions be completely removed. In order to make sure that no make is present during surgery, it is recommended to not wear make up three days before Lasik surgery. This rule also applies after surgery, too.

Most Lasik doctors will tell you to refrain from using any make up or lotions for 48 hours after the procedure. After that time, it is ok to wear make up, excluding eye make up. Eye make up is acceptable after about one week or whenever your Lasik surgeon gives you permission.

Why no make up?  That requiement is important because not only can make up enter the eye and cause infection after surgery, but it can also damage the eye. If you apply make up around the eye area, the chances for accidentally poking the eye with a make up applicator is greater. Lasik patients can shower, but should not use any soap or facial washes on the face for two to three days after the surgery.

Need you be told not to touch the eye?  After surgery, your Lasik doctor will advise you not touch the eye for any reason. You will be given eye drops, but other than that, nothing should enter the eye area. Most Lasik patients will receive an eye shield to wear while sleeping. These shields help prevent accidentally rubbing or poking while sleeping. 

A patient touching the eye can cause contaminants to enter the eye area and that will increase the risk of infection. Touching the eye or accidental poking the eye can lead to damage of the surgery area and will cause problems with the healing process.

Take it easy after the surgery.  You probably will be feeling fine, but do not participate in strenuous physical activity: Some normal activities can be done about 48 hours after surgery, but should be done with caution.

Golf and light work outs are all allowed one day after surgery, but with any outdoor activity, protective eye wear should be worn. Reading, working on the computer and watching television are also allowed 24 hours after surgery, but it is recommended to keep the eye moisturized with eye drops.

The period of caution will last about three days.  After that playing with children, sexual activity, and sunbathing are all allowed with proper care taken to protect the eye area. In seven days more strenuous activities such as jogging, light biking, and lifting weights can be added.

If you are involved with extreme sports such as kayaking, skiing, parachuting and skiing, talk to your doctor about when these sports are allowed. Usually it will be at least three months after surgery.

So yes, there are restrictions after Lasik eye surgery, but as you can see they really add up to just using some common sense.

Restrictions After Lasik Eye Surgery